Folding wheel chair



Jan. 13, 1953 s. DUKE FOLDING WHEEL CHAIR Filed Jan. 6, 1949 32 414 Ja 5A 14%5? 17 1%14 Sa/ZZaeZ cake @g: 5 6 49 51 ALcbr/zey IN V TOR.

Patented Jan. 13, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FOLDING WHEEL CHAIR Samuel Duke, Chicago, Ill.

Application January 6, 1949, Serial No. 69,469

2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to improvements in folding wheel chairs and it is directed to that class of folding wheel chairs disclosed in my Patent No. 2,354,949, granted August 1, 1944. One object is to provide a folding wheel chair having a novel type of chair frame that is of simple construction, having few parts, that is very light in weight, durable in use and inexpensive to manufacture.

A further object is to provide a folding wheel chair having adjustable support braces connecting the sides of the chair at the front and rear, the braces being so constructed that the braces in extended operative position are supported by each other and the load carried by the chair is therefore effective to more firmly and positively retain the parts in operative assembly. I Other objects, novel features and advantages of arrangement, construction and design comprehended by the invention are hereinafter more fully pointed out or made apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment as illustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein like reference characters denote corresponding parts throughout.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of a chair embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a rear view of the chair shown in Fi 1.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the instant wheel chair with the front wheels, fiexible seat and back omitted.

Figs. 4 and 4A are elevational and plan views respectively of a hinge rest member employed.

Figs. 5 and 5A are elevational and plan views of a similar hinge rest member.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary front elevational view of the chair.

Fig. '7 is a side view of a support or brace employed.

Fig. 7A is an edge view of Fig. 7.

Figs. 8 and 8A are side and edge views of a companion brace, and,

Fig. 9 is a rear elevational view of the chair in folded position, the back being omitted.

The reference numeral I denotes a lower tubular frame member, one at each side of the chair, the forward end of each member being slightly downturned and extended forwardly and carrying a foot rest 2 preferably of an adjustable type that permits the extension or folding of the frame as hereinafter described. Each frame member I at its rear end is provided with a rear swiveled wheel 3 preferably ball bearing and provided with a rubber tire as shown.

' are bulged outwardly or laterally away from each other, as clearly shown in Fig. 6, so that the space between the legs at their union with the arms and therebelow to a point substantially in line with the chair seat is wider than elsewhere so that a chair of relatively narrow frame affords a wide seating capacity. The arms 5 at their rear ends are welded or otherwise connected to the rear legs I that at their lower terminals are preferably welded to the lower frame members I, the upper free ends of the rear legs being bent rearwardly and slightly downwardly forming handles 8. A flexible back rest 9 is secured to the upper portions of the rear legs. The drive wheels or traction wheels I0 are operatively secured to the front legs 4 and are provided with conventional hand rims II for propelling the chair in conventional manner by the occupant. Each side of the frame of the chair includes a lower member I, front and rear legs 4, I and an arm 5.

Secured pivotally to the front and rear legs in slight spaced relation to the lower frame members I are the elongated U-shaped brace members I2, I3, the brace I2 secured at its open end to the legs of one frame side and the brace I3 secured in like manner to the legs of the other frame side. Both brace members are formed of flat bars of metal preferably aluminum or spring steel though not necessarily so.

The brace I2 has its sides pivotally connected by two one-piece angular hinge rests I4 to one front and one rear leg while the brace I3 has its sides pivotally connected by another pair of one-piece angular hinge rests I4 to the opposite front and rear legs of the chair. The points of pivotal connection of the sides of the brace I2 with their hinge rests I4 are substantially twothirds the distance from the base, or closed end, of the brace to the longitudinal center points of the sides. The sides of the brace I3 are offset inwardly or toward each other at directly opposite points to form the narrow or contracted portions I5 of equal extent, the longitudinal center of each side of brace I3 falling in its offset portion I5, the longitudinal centers of the sides of the brace I2 pivotally connected to the corresponding centers of the sides of the brace I3 at IS. The angular hinge rests are each oifset to form a longer and a shorter portion, angularly disposed with relation to each other, the extent of the oiiset defined by a shoulder l1 disposed in the path of movement of the braces upon their pivotal points of connection [6, said shoulders i1 receiving and positively supporting the brace sides in one position of the braces with their bases or closed ends spacedthe maximum distance apart, which is the wide open operative position of the chair.

The extent of the contracted or narrowed por tions l5 of the brace sides is such that in the collapsed or folded position of the chair, shown in Fig. 9, the sides of the brace 12 rest against shoulders l8 defining the juncture of the nar' row portions IS with the wider braceesidepor tions. The bases or closed sides of the braces 12, it are connected byv a flexible seat l9 which in addition to its normal function may be manually raised from operative position to that position shown in Fig. 9 to instantly fold the chair for over-night storage or out of the way disposal when not in further immediate use. The chair may be collapsed or folded, and expanded to operative position by manually separating or bringingt'ogether the. sides of the frame.

The frame sides may be brought together and the braces folded by means of the flexible seat 39 because the parts connecting thev sides of the chair to each other and to the. braces are readily adjustable with little effort on the part of .the user or operator and at the same time the chair in its operative position and in use is very positively braced and supported in such position.

What is claimed is:

1. In a folding. wheel chair, front legs,- rear legs, means for securing thefront wheels of said wheel chair to said front legs, saidfront legs having substantially horizontal. portions forming arms, means'connecting said arms with .said rear legs, a flexible seat supported below the level of said arms in the operative p'o'sitionof the chair, said front legs bulged outwardly with respect to each other at their upper ends and having the arm portions thereof diverging from each other from the ends secured to said rear legs to the front ends thereof, folding braces connecting said front legs to said rear legs, and hinge rests connecting said folding braces to said front and rear legs, said hinge rests in one position of said folding braces supporting same against adjustment in one direction, said flexible seat manually adjustable to move said folding braces from extended to folded position. v v y,

2. In a folding wheel chair, front legs, rear legs, means for securing the front wheels of said Wheel chair to said front legs, said front legs having substantially horizontal portions forming arms, means connecting said arms with said rearlegs; said front legs bulged outwardly with respect toeach other at their upper ends and having the arm portions thereof diverging from each other from the ends secured to said rear legs to the front ends thereof, elongated U- shaped bracesoneof said braces secured at its open end to one frontleg and one rearleg; the second brace securedat its open end to the other front leg and rearleg, the sides of one brace being offset toward eachother at oppositepoints defining shoulders, the, sides of thesecondbrace b g s rai the l i ud na c n ra poin s of said braces being pivotally connected, the sides of said second brace disposed against said shou ders. in th f l ed ch ir. pp i n ns rest connect a ra es to. a f om and rear lesss id hin e-r sts. in th riemfiwrwitie i the; hair. suppo tin .s idbreqes a d a flex ble seat connecting the closed ends of said braces. I SAMUEL DUKE.

awesomeness k following-,i' efer ences are of record in the file of this patent:

omrso ures ATENTS Minter Meehan Jan. 3, 1950 

